Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 517(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
“You haven’t heard from Nico?” Regent asked.
“No. What is it?”
Regent raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything about his tense tone.
“Ace fell from a tree. He’s had to go to the hospital. Looks like he’s broken his arm.”
“Ace? Jardin’s woman’s brother?”
“Yes.”
“Doesn’t sound good. He was at your house?”
“Lottie takes care of them sometimes during school vacations while Thea works. But usually, I’m around to help. She gets overwhelmed and tired easily.”
“I’m sure she’s capable of taking care of two boys.”
Regent shook his head. “Yeah? Look what just happened.”
“Accidents happen. He fell from a tree. Kids like to do reckless things. You can’t blame Lottie.”
“I don’t blame her.” Regent glared at him.
Liam raised his eyebrows. Regent didn’t usually show much emotion. The only time he could remember him losing it was when Lottie was kidnapped. When he’d called Liam for his help, he’d been furious. Cold. Lashing out at everyone.
“Then why are you—”
“She went with them.”
“To the hospital?” Okay, now Liam understood. As far as he knew, Lottie never went out.
“She never goes anywhere without me. And then, only if it’s because I can’t organize for it to happen at home.”
“So, you bring everything she needs to her?”
“Yes, of course. She can’t even walk through the gardens alone. She has to be able to see the house. To know that someone is close by. So, I bring what I can to her. The only time she’s ever gone out of the house is when she’s needed to go somewhere with specialist equipment that can’t be moved. The last time was when we were worried she’d broken a bone in her foot, and she needed to have it X-rayed. But then I arranged for a private clinic and had it emptied out of everyone but the few key personnel. She should have stayed at home.”
“You don’t think you should try and encourage her to go out of the house?”
“This isn’t her being difficult, Liam. She has panic attacks. After that bastard kidnapped her, it changed something inside her.”
“I get that. But there must be something that can be done. That’s no way to live.”
Regent gave him a curious look with just a tinge of suspicion. “She’s my sister. How about I worry about her, and you stick to worrying about your husband?”
Liam straightened. Was that a threat? They’d been friends a long time, but he was well aware that they weren’t family. And Regent always put family first.
They pulled up outside the emergency entrance of a small hospital. A private one, he was guessing. Regent wouldn’t allow his family to go to a public one with no way of managing their security.
When they walked into the hospital, Regent moved forward as though he knew exactly where he was going. Maybe he had a private room here. Fuck, even a wing. Who knew?
Nobody stopped them as they strode down a passage and into a room at the back. One of Regent’s guys stood outside of the room, standing guard. He stepped aside so that Regent and Liam could walk in. The guard who’d trailed them in here, stayed outside. There, sitting close to Nico, who had his hand on hers and was speaking quietly to her, was Lottie.
Her face was pale. Her hair was slightly messy, as though she’d been running her fingers through it. But she was all right. Both of them were.
Relief flooded him.
He was still going to take this out on Nico’s ass for not calling him and telling him he was leaving the house.
Regent strode forward. Lottie looked up at the sight of her brother. Her eyes were wide, slightly wild. Liam looked to Nico, who tried to grin back at him.
Yeah, he knew he was in trouble.
“Darling, what are you doing here?” Regent asked, crouching in front of Lottie.
Liam moved over as well. “Are you hurt? Either of you?”
Lottie jumped slightly and he realized his tone had been a touch too harsh. Fuck. He didn’t mean it to be. Concern had him speaking before he thought.
“We’re fine,” Nico told him. “Ace was the only one hurt. Broken arm. They’ve X-rayed it and he’s in getting a cast. Thea, Jardin, Carrick, and Keir are back with him. It was already too many people, so we decided to wait out here. Gerald and Peter are with them.”
Reaching out, Regent took hold of her free hand, before glaring at Nico in an attempt to get him to let go of her other hand.
“Do you mind?” Regent said stiffly.
Nico gave him a huge, toothy smile. “Nope, don’t mind at all.”
“Let go of my sister.”
Liam scowled. He didn’t like that. Nobody forced his husband to do anything he didn’t want to. He moved closer to them, prepared to tell Regent to get fucked when Nico widened his eyes at him, giving him a quick shake of his head.